Dude, I'm just as blind as the guy on the other end - whichever end that turns out to be. I am reasonably certain one of us will be ducking while the other is high-steppin', both of us swearing the other one jumped the wrong way, lol.
"only when I can't see the moon through it."
I think that's what got me to thinking. I was trying to decide which of a half-dozen maintenance chores to finally finish off - that screen being one of 'em. (Beautiful moon last night, just couldn't see it as well as I'd like). DD, just returned from a camping trip, called and asked what I was doing. Now, this girl has camped all of her life and loves it. I heard, "But Mom, I thought you were just on this gigantic vacation!?" A friend called. Same basic convo. I'm all, "HeLLO? Did I tell you I was endlessly vacationing at some point?"
That's right about when it sunk in. I knew it was different than imagined, but not quite THAT different. After all this time, still the fantasy - and this sense of disappointment on THEIR part that it's not all hot tubs and scenic cruises every day. I sort of get that same sense when people get so agitated about how the economic sky is falling or how far they can drive this year and it's the end of the whole lifestyle, etc. You know - that they love the IDEA of it so much and want more, more, more without getting that it's not quite what all they think it is. If you say what is true, you shred somebody's fave fantasy (just accidentally demonstrated it again). At some point, the 'endless vacation' is just your life. Which is a good deal more ok by me than it apparently is with them.
That is the very weirdness of it. That somebody else is sucking their teeth over my life?? That's the thing - it's not even about me. It's about that fantasy thing and the irony that meeting other people's expectations is about 180 degrees from why I'm here. Why, oh WHY must I notice these kinds of things? LOL
one for people who fulltime just to see the u.s. and travel who worry about leaving the real estate world, selling their homes, finding a new place to live when they get tired of traveling and living on 60,000Grand a year.
There is a difference, at least to me.....
Have a shot..................... I suppose that I should explain that his is what is called a "provacative" post, meant to stimulate and encourge additional posts and comments.
* This post was
edited 07/20/08 12:38pm by WTTCS *
I have no arguments Wacky. Sure there are differences. What we need to be cognate of is the fact full-timing means many things to many people. Not any single one of us is the right absolute way. All we can do is offer our own insights, not arguments. That accomplishes nothing. I look at it as we are all full-timers, some just do it differently as others. We don't need to argue about it. That won't change people s way of living.
I remember once Googling "definition of full-time RV'er" I got tired after 40 pages and there were many more to read lol!! If someone does it different than me , more power to them.
Lets not turn the thread into an argument. There shouldn't be any. We each do as we see fit individually. I like to see all the ideas and lifestyles. They may not fit my mold, but it's not my mold to they have t fit. I'll bow out of this one, but lets please not turn it into an argument. There's nothing wrong with additional posts or comments? We just don't need to argue over it. There will always be differing opinion, I realize that.
Wacky - I tried to bring up that point once and boy did I get flamed. That thread is still back there in the archives somewhere. As I recall Dianne ended up closing it as it just wasn't going anywhere. You're right, but as I said earlier those who get it get it and those who don't never will. They'll just flame you for saying it.
Firedude - actually you can do it in anything. My first fulltime rig was a retired bread truck that I converted to a rv
John Ewing
2007 Allegro Bus 42QRP ("TisIt")
2005 Sportster/HydraLift ("Dinky")
2002 Miata toad ("Mellow Yellow") www.jandse.com
FMCA 104106
What goes around comes around - always treat others the way you'd like them to treat you.
OK...I'm here....and I agree with Serena, Wacky, trkrhelp, Firedude and others.
This thing called "fulltiming" is in many ways, a fantasy to most. To those of us who have been doing it for many years......it is a life that no other comes close to. Reality, to me, is getting up in the morning and trying to find a safe way to walk my first 10 miles of the day. Then on to mundane things, like moving the 20 plus sprinklers on 8 acres of cg so they don't hit the parked campers. Then get down to the kitchen to get the food ready for tomorrow's overnight fish camp.
Then, somewhere, I need to do the laundry, make cheesecakes and fix the split irrigation line, because Terry is flying out today to settle his Mom into an assisted living facility, and I need to do some of his chores.
Actually, this life is not that much different than my former life...juggling everything to make it all work. The difference here is, that I have chosen this way of life and if I don't like what I am doing, or where I am...I just pack it up and move on down the road.
Freedom? is that what fulltiming is? Yes and no. We are freer in many ways than those tied to stix and brix, but in other ways, we are just as tied to everyday things as everyone else. We just chose to do them in a different way.
Enough...I need to get back to my duties...fishcamp is coming up tomorrow and I need to get away from the cg and commune with nature, including the meese, coons and snakes
Dianne
Fulltimers (8 years)
Volunteering/workamping
Heise Hot Springs, ID for the summer
DataStorm
HAM WB6N (Terry)
2005 Teton 39' Frontier Grand
2003 Freightliner FL60
Life Member Good Sam
Escapees
Geocache..."RVcachers" RV net Blog
Ahh, there we go. Hope things go well for MIL and the hub.
I remember where Dianne is. Just another s* day in paradise, poor baby.
I wonder if they still make those tee shirts? I remember seeing them in Baja years ago. I tend to stay out of the tourist shops these days. (Shhhh - don't tell anybody, lol! It'll ruin my image. I mean, their image of my image. Or your image of their image of somebody else's definition of a fulltimer. Somethin' like that. Bound to annoy somebody and start an argument, anyhow.)
Problem solved: I estimate that I am in possession of appx 16 sf more stuff than I need to have. The problem is that the 16sf of stuff sitting neatly grouped on the floor is NOT that 16 sf of unnecessary stuff, which is stashed ALL over the place. So I looked at that To Do list again, stared it square in the face, and took a nap. Ahhhh, progress! Being well rested and having accomplished so much today, I feel the need to go whoop somebody in a poker game just for good measure.
My DS thinks that when he graduates from High School that we're selling our house & buying a Class A & fulltiming with him!!! LOL! I don't think I've convinced DH how much we'd enjoy fulltiming. Just know that if I'm in the lodge, I'm hanging on every word & living vicariously thru you lucky guys! Fulltiming is one of my fantasies! I truly appreciate this forum so I can do that!
See Ya Around the Campfire!
Nancy & Jeff
DS-Garrett-14 loves Fishing & XBox 360!
Muffin-11 yr old Cocker Spaniel
Shadow-Black Lab puppy born 6/11/08
2008 Keystone Passport 280BH
2007 Ford Expedition (TV)
2004 Mustang Convertible (My Mid-life crisis)
Ok, I think I'm ready to chime in now. We're one of those couples who wanted to travel for a few years and see how "fulltiming" worked for us. We have only been at it for a few months so we're still a work in progress.
I can already see the distinction between a long term vacationer fulltimer and a "lifer" fulltimer. Just getting ready to hit the road, which ended up taking about 18 months, we learned alot about simplifying our lifestyle. Aside from a few boxes of military momentos and photos, we carry all that we own with us.
In a lot of ways, it appears to me that learning to live a simplier life and knowing what it truely important to you is what separates "lifers" from some of the long term vacationers.
Even if we find that we don't like to be on the road all the time, we'll have gained some very important insights into who we are and what we need to be content. Bottom line - what is a need and what is a want.
Dave & Kathy
2007 Monaco Knight 40PDQ towing 2003 Odyssey
Two cats - Kitty & Casey (18 & 15 years old)
Internet/Cell - Sprint - Sierra Wireless AirCard595U
Fulltime since October 2007
Offline
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